A Brooklyn pawn-store owner is suing his nephew for allegedly swiping his inventory and using the secondhand goods to open a competing shop on the same block in Bushwick.
Joseph Someck, who owned Midas Touch Jewelry Plus at 252 Knickerbocker Ave., is suing nephew Houman Joseph “with a heavy heart,” according to the suit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
In court papers, Someck, 56, says he “succumbed to family pleas” to take Houman, 36, “under his wing” and hired him in May 2010 him to manage the pawn shop on a daily basis.
Then the nephew convinced his uncle to purchase a nearby store, Madrid Video, at 242 Knickerbocker Ave., claiming it would be an ideal “business opportunity” for the pair, according to court papers.
A few weeks later, Someck was shocked to learn that his nephew had allegedly swiped Midas’ brand-name watches, gold and jewelry and moved to the Madrid Video space, the suit says.
But Houman told The Post the suit is out of pure “spite.”
He denied that he stole the merchandise and said he never wanted to open a competing pawn shop. He said he plans to change the name of the new store but that it will remain a video-game outlet. He pointed out that his uncle never went after him criminally.
“I opened this store with my own money,” Houman insisted, claiming that his uncle is angry because Houman would not allow him to be a partner in the new venture.
Someck’s attorney, Diana Rubinov, said her client had to shutter Midas when Houman left because Houman ran the shop.
Someck is suing Houman for the $146,067 the uncle says he gave to his nephew to purchase the video-game store.
Houman admitted that the dispute has caused a rift in what he describes as a “family’s family.”
“My mom looks at me like, ‘How could you do this to your uncle?’ ” Houman said.